Radiator



March 29, 1938. c STEFFEY Q 2,112,792

' RADIATOR Filed March 5, 1935 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATS ATENT OFFEE RADIATOR Application March 5, 1935, Serial No. 9,501

2 Claims.

This invention relates to cores for radiators designed for motor vehicles, air conditioning systems, refrigeration systems, and, in fact, wherever the rapid transfer of thermal units is desired. It is more particularly an improvement on the structure disclosed in the patent to Spery and Spery, No. 1,301,984, issued on April 29, 1919.-

An object of the present invention is to provide a radiator core of the honeycomb type wherein hexagonal air passages are arranged in vertical columns.

It is an object of the invention to form the radiator core of permanently assembled units, each unit including a sheathing constituting the sides, top and bottom of the unit while surrounded by each sheathing are filler plates so shaped as to cooperate with the sheathing and with each other to form hexagonal air passages of uniform area, there being connections between the superposed passages in each unit through which air can flow upwardly or downwardly from one passage to another.

A still further object is to provide filler plates having means whereby they will be extended from front to rear and which can be joined by solder or other suitable binder so distributed as to offer the minimum resistance to the conduction of thermal units from one plate to the other of the unit.

A still further object is "to so shape the sheathings of the units that when the units are placed together side by side the said sheathings will cooperate to form columns through which the fluid being cooled can flow freely.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is. a View partly in front elevation and partly in transverse section of a portion of a radiator core constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of the units, a portion of the sheathing being broken away to show the filler plates of the unit.

Figure 3 is a section through a portion of the radiator core taken on the line 33, Figure 1..

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the sheathing plates of a unit, a portion being broken away.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through portions of the filler plates of a unit.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on line 3-6, Figure 2 taken through both the sheathing and filler plates.

Figure 7 is an enlarged section on line l-l', 10 Figure 2, taken through both the sheathing and filler plates.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates opposed sheathing plates. the upper and lower edge portions of which are 15 bent to form flanges 2 which are extended toward each other and joined by seams 3, thus to form a continuous sheathing extending throughout the height of the radiator core and throughout the width of the radiator unit. 20

Each edge of each plate is crimped longitudinally to form a series of outwardly extended semi-hexagonal ofisets 4 while between these offsets are inwardly extended semi-hexagonal offsets 5. The offset portions 4 and 5 do not 6X1 tend throughout the width of the plates from front to rear but merely extend backwardly short distances as shown particularly in Figures 2 and 3 other to form substantially fiat parallel faces I 35 from which the ribs 6 diverge.

Interposed between the sheathing plates l of each unit are a pair of filler plates 8 and 9 respectively. These filler plates are duplicates but are oppositely arranged relative to each other 49 so as to provide rights and lefts with corre sponding portions directly opposed to each other. Each plate is crimped along its front and back edges to provide series of semi-hexagonal depressions, each series including outwardly offset 45 depressions l0 between which are formed inwardly offset depressions H. That portion of each plate between the outwardly offset depressions is pressed inwardly toward the opposed plate to form a longitudinal channel indicated 50 at l2, this channel being proportioned to receive one of the tapered ribs 6 of the-adjacent she-athing plate. The walls of the channels can be flattened out at spaced intervals as shown at l3 so that when the channel portions l2 are 55 assembled with the ribs 6 therein, these flattened portions I3 will provide clearance for holding a suitable binder such as solder, while those portions I3 of the walls between the flattened faces I3 can contact directly with the sheathing plate, thereby to provide perfect conduction of thermal units from the filler plate at these points to the adjacent portions of the sheathing plates.

Those portions of the filler plates between the inwardly offset depressions II are pressed outwardly toward the adjacent sheathing plates to form longitudinal channels I4 and if desired these outwardly pressed or channeled portions can be slit or broken longitudinally as shown at I5 to permit lateral flow of air through the meetingportions of the filler plates. However it is not always desirable to form these slits or breaks at I5 but on the contrary the channels I4 can be left unbroken so that air will be free to flow upwardly between the filler plates where the channels are located and not laterally through said filler plates.

As beforestated each radiator core is formed with a number of units, all of the units being the same and comprising connected opposed sheathing plates and a pair of interposed filler plates. The filler plates of each pair can be held properly assembled while being handled by forming small depressions I5 along one edge of each filler plate and small nodes I! along the corresponding edge portion of the opposed filler plate so that when the two plates are properly located relative to each other all of the nodes will be seated in the opposed depressions. The assembled filler plates are then positioned between the sheathing plates and when properly located the channeled portions I2 will provide seats for the wedge-like ribs 6 of the filler plates. The inwardly offset portions I I of the filler plates will match the outwardly offset portions 4 of the sheathing plates, thereby to provide air passages I8 having hexagonal end portions.

The inwardly offset depressions II of the two filler plates will match each other thereby to provide air passages I9 having hexagonal end portions. The passages I 9 are interposed between the inwardly extended portions of the passages I8 and these passages communicate through the clearances provided between the channeled portions I2 of the filler plates. Thus the passages I9 are in constant communication vertically so that air can not only flow longitudinally through said passages but also upwardly from one passage I9 to another. If the channeled. portions I2 are split or broken the air can also flow laterally to and from the passages I8.

The meeting offset end portions of the sheathing plates and filler plates are joined by solder so that each unit thus forms a rigid one-piece structure.

The several completed units are assembled side by side with the outwardly offset portions l of the sheathing plates of each unit fitting into the inwardly offset portions 5 of the opposed sheathing plate; Thus the units can be joined by solder where these offset portions interfit but as the sheathing plates are all flattened inwardly betweerrthe outwardly offset portions 4 as indicated at I it will be obvious that when the sheathing plates of the different units are interfitted and joined as described the flattened portions I will cooperate to form a vertical passage 20 between the units extending from the offset portions at one end of the unit to the offset portions at the other end of the unit and through this vertical passage the fluid to be cooled flows freely from the top to the bottom of the unit.

It will be obvious in practice that air can circulate freely longitudinally of the passages I8 and I9. Water or other fluid in the vertical passages 2e will be quickly cooled through contact with the air cooled surfaces of the sheathing plates, it being understood that the plates of which the radiator is formed are highly conductive of thermal units so that they will be quickly dissipated not only because of the extensive area subject to air cooling butalso because of the vertical as well as horizontal flow of air possible in the structure. As all of the plates are joined by solder at their front and back ends as well as along the channels I2, the resultant structure is rendered rigid and durable. Because of the direct contact of the filler plates with each other at points along the walls of the channels I2 and ribs 6, the conduction of ther mal units from one plate to the other'becornes more efficient than would be the case should there be a continuous unbroken layer of solder between the meeting parts.

What is claimed is:

1. A radiator core comprising a plurality of similar units placed side by side and permanently joined at their ends, each of said units including connected sheathing plates having crimped edges providing outwardly offset semihexagonal portions and inwardly offset semihexagonal portions alternately arranged, those portions of the plates between the outwardly offset portions being pressed inwardly to form flattened faces and inwardly extended ribs between the faces, the outwardly oifset portions of the sheathing plates of each unit being fitted between the outwardly extended portions of the sheathing plates of the next adjoining units and those portions of the sheathing plates between the outwardly oifset portions cooperating with the corresponding plates of the adjoining units to form passages for fluid to be cooled,

and a pair of filler plates interposed between the sheathing plates, the said filler plates having corrugated edge portions providing semi-hexagonal inwardly offset depressions and semi-hexagonal outwardly offset depressions, those portions of the filler plates between the outwardly offset portions being channeled to receive and directly contact with the inwardly extended ribs on the sheathing plates, portions of the walls of the channels being depressed for the reception of a binder, saidfiller plates cooperating with each other to form a column of superposed air passages and cooperating with the sheathing plates to form separate columns of superposed air passages.

2. A radiator core comprising a plurality of similar units placed side by side and permanently joined at their ends, each of said units including connected sheathing plates having crimped edges providing outwardly offset semihexagonal portions and inwardly offset semihexagonal portions alternately arranged, those portions of the plates between the outwardly offset portions being pressed inwardly to form flattened faces and inwardly extended ribs between the faces, the outwardly offset portions of the sheathing plates of each unit being fitted between the outwardly extended portions of the sheathing plates of the next adjoining units and those portions of the sheathing plates between the outwardly offset portions cooperating with the corresponding plates of the adjoining units .to form passages for fluid to be cooled, and a pair of filler plates interposed between the sheathing plates, the said filler plates having corrugated edge portions providing semi-hexagonal inwardly ofiset depressions and semi-hexagonal outwardly offset depressions, those portions of the filler plates between the outwardly offset portions being channeled to receive and directly contact with the inwardly extended ribs on the 10 sheathing plates, portions of the walls of the channels being depressed for the reception of a binder, said filler plates cooperating with each other to form a column of superposed air passages and cooperating with the sheathing plates to form separate columns of superposed air passages, those portions of the filler plates between the inwardly offset portions being channeled to provide clearances for circulation of air between the passages defined by the filler plates.

GROVER C. STEFFEY. 

